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Sunday, September 11, 2011

PM Najib vs Robert Kuok: who won?

Or rather, who lost? Apparently, according to someone's opinion, the people of Malaysia lost much more than what a few cronies benefited. The article was written in Chinese and translated by someone. So read and be mindful of possible errors or omissions in the translation. Anyway, it is just one person's opinion of events and not necessary true of Robert Kuok's personal intentions and views...

SUGAR AND FROZEN DURIAN

A good read. (not sure who the author is...By 忠政快讯

Some friends have requested translation for the 忠政快讯's piece on Sugar King Robert Kuok's history. Thanks to Google translate with some corrections.

Knowledge is empowering. Reading is knowledge.

Recently, the government offended Robert Kuok, as a result, the Malaysian economy suffered a great blow! After the official Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Malaysia , the Najib government now really understands Robert Kuok's influence on China !

In order to benefit their cronies, they arm twisted to swallow Robert Kuok’s sugar empire. The cronies get richer by 10’s of billions, but it caused a national loss of more than 200 billion!

Malaysia sugar king was forced to leave Malaysia , but became the world’s sugar king! He bought the world's largest sugar mills in Australia, invested USD10 billion, it is the world's largest sugar cane sugar refining industry, living up to the name of the world’s sugar king.

On the other hand, the Malaysia government benefited cronies at the expense of national interests. For those who have insider info, Kuok offered immense help to the Malaysian government in the past few decades, he has done everything possible; but what the government did was like what you will get when you turn over a pig stomach: faeces. In other words, Najib Government is UNGRATEFUL!

In the "Confidential" news, is about the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Malaysia recently, it hit a snag with Najib.

Prior to Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Malaysia , Najib and his cabinet on more than one occasion, hinted that he hoped China will double the amount of palm oil with Malaysia .We all know that China is the largest consumer of palm oil from Malaysia . Rapid economic rise in the recent years, China became the largest palm oil market for Malaysia , but Malaysia has also strong competition from Indonesia , trying to sell palm oil at lower prices to China and India , diluting the Malaysian market share. This is most worrying for Najib.

Najib hoped to sign a new palm oil trading contracts with Premier Wen Jiabao to sign in order to more than double the average 10 million tonnes monthly export to China . But Wen Jiabao came to a Malaysia, told Najib, it is impossible. It was an utter disappointment.

Najib knows the Chinese market demand. Even to import one million tonnes of palm oil daily, is not a problem. So, where is the problem?

Who is the monopoly of Chinese national oil market? China national oil market leader is "Arowana" cooking oil, accounting for nearly 40%! The Arowana cooking oil boss, is Robert Kuok!

Think about it, Premier Wen Jiabao on behalf of the Chinese government to buy Malaysian palm oil. Who is going to refine it into cooking oil? Of course, it is the privatized enterprises! With 40% market share, if Arowana cooking oil company refuses the supply, how is the Chinese government going to utilize the supply?

Najib was insensible from the start, and did not know Kuok had such big influence in China . He had helped cronies, forced Robert Kuok to give up the Malaysian sugar king throne, and didn’t expect to have such quick retribution

Kuok was forced to leave Malaysia , his heart is of course very unhappy. People of Malaysia must know, during the early days of Malaysia , we did not have aviation professionals, the BN government requested Kuok's father to help set up Malayan Airways.

1970 Malaysian maritime shipping industry is also a vacuum, the Malaysian government sent representatives to Hong Kong to personally invite Kuok’s help. For national development, Kuok put aside the Group's business, came back to Malaysia to assist the Government to establish a national maritime shipping industry, this later transformed into MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CORPORATION, referred to as MISC.

Robert Kuok was a big help when Malaysia repeatedly faced economic difficulties. Even in MCA Tan Koon Swan’s case, it was Robert Kuok who paid the bail! Malaysia ’s successive governments, from BN to the National Front, owed Robert Kuok a hell of a lot. But the Malaysian Government was ungrateful, using the hard arm twisting excuse to forcefully take over Kuok’s empire. This is not ungrateful?

Deng Xiaoping made a comeback in the 70s, announced China's reform and needed most generous help of overseas Chinese entrepreneurs; Robert was first to take actions to help Deng. Among the other entrepreneurs of Chinese economic miracle are Henry Fok and Li Ka-shing Hong Kong. Malaysian entrepreneur Robert Kuok is the first to response to Deng Xiaoping in Beijing and built China 's first five-star hotels: Shangri-La!

With over 30 years of deep relationship with the Chinese government and leadership, Kuok has great influence. Najib failed to recognise that. This is why the quote at the start of this post : “For the interests of their cronies, they arm twisted to take over Kuok’s Sugar Empire, cronies get rich by the 10s of billions, but it caused a national loss of more than 200 billion!”

Kuok's sugar empire was eaten by the fat vampire's family abruptly. Imagine, a world renowned international trade business personality, what humiliation he received in return for his single-minded help all this while for his own country and government? And Najib would never think that the consequences of offending the Sugar King will be so so serious.

Right after Sugar King left Malaysia , he immediately announced the acquisition of Australia 's biggest sugar factory. This is the world supplier of raw material for sugar manufacturing. Of course, this includes supplying to the family of the fat vampire woman’s sugar factory in Perlis.

Early this year, Kuok announced plans to invest USD 10 billion in Indonesia for development of the world's largest sugar cane growing areas, as well as advanced refinery. The world economy was facing a downturn, the Malaysian government travelled around the world to solicit investment. How much was Malaysia ’s foreign investment? Kuok’s single investment in Indonesia is equivalent to as USD10 billion dollars!

At the moment, Kuok’s take towards China ’s palm oil contract with Malaysia was to remain with the agreed terms. There won’t be any increase. Indonesia has more palm oil than Malaysia . It is cheaper too. Now that Kuok had invested so much money in Indonesia , the Government of Indonesia would have treated him as their God of Wealth. Certainly, open to negotiate anything with him. Moreover, Indonesia has been eyeing to take over the China palm oil supply contract from Malaysia .

The CONSOLATION China gave in return for not increasing the purchase of palm oil was buying frozen durian. Do the Chinese people have the habit of eating durian it? How much time and effort is needed to market frozen durian from Malaysia ? Thai durian may not sell well in China, let alone Malaysia frozen durian?

Business is business, who would supply millions of dollars’ worth of frozen durian into a brand new market with no durian eating habits? Should the Chinese people become non-receptive of it, how do we deal with return goods? A total loss with capital. Is this how to do business?

Earlier this year, when the news hit the papers that Kuok made an announcement to invest USD 10 billion in Indonesia, many criticized Kuok for being unpatriotic, preferring to take so much money into Indonesia instead of Malaysian. What CRAP! You arm-twisted him to take over his empire, forcing the man to leave Malaysia in hurt and humiliation; now that the man ignores the Malaysian market, and you criticize him?

For him to bring his huge investment to Australia and Indonesia instead of Malaysia, who is to be blamed?

Incidentally, Kuok is not just Chinas’ hotelier, king of cooking oil, the world’s sugar King; he is also the patent owner of the Coca-cola soft drink brand in the Chinese market. Kuok is involved in a diversity of businesses in China . He created many job opportunities for China . The Chinese central government and leaders have great respect for him as an entrepreneur. When the man speaks, the weight it carries can be far-reaching.

So far, Kuok is the only man who never accepted any of the titles rolled out for outstanding Malaysians.

Many people address him as “Tan Sri Robert Kuok,” in actual fact, he does not have these titles, he doesn’t need them.

To put the record straight, he is neither “Tan Sri” nor “Dato”. (…is that true?)

5 comments:

NO, Robert Kuok has never been a Tan Sri. Tan Sris can only be recommended by the federal govt and bestowed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. You can check the list of Award Recipients at the official Malaysian Monarchy website:http://www.malaysianmonarchy.org.my/malaysianmonarchy/?q=en/recipients

However, his brother Phillip Kuok was conferred Panglima Setia Mahkota carrying the title "Tan Sri" in 1970 as the Malaysian ambassador to the Netherlands.

UMNO is disgusting. This is the government who line their cronies and their pockets multi hundred Billion at the expenses of the rakyat. Enough is enough, We have no choice but vote you out next General Election for good or else our next future generation will have to pay for your debt and suffer. Shame to you UMNO BN